Topped or drop Crotched? And what's the future?

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Colin

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Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future?

This is a fresh pic but the ROW cutting occured about 12 to 18 months ago.

So, do you think it's drop crotched or topped?

These are slash pines, Pinus elliottii,what will happen say 2 years down the track, 5 years, 10 years etc?

With this species they rarely shoot so epicormics aren't a problem ... are they?
 

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Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

Ekka, in the usa it's neither, redo your poll. Topping is defined as cutting to a predetermined crown limit UNLESS it's "Utility crown-reduction pruning" ANSI 5.9.2

So do they have industry standards in Australia?

Not much experience with P. elliottii, but my guess is they'll reiterate from whatever upward laterals/buds, and wall off decay, as much as their vigor and vitality will allow. If/as they rot and those branch ends get heavy, they will fall into the yard.

Stripping of lower branches adds to imbalance and stress, but with that kind of voltage maybe it's gotta be clear underneath. Loblollies, P taeda here rarely sprout from wounds; I've seen it a handful of times.
 
Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

That reminds me of my ROW days.
 
Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

That actually looks pretty good for line clearance. Like the arborist actually had some kind of plan for the tree's future in mind and not just randomly cutting with a hydro-polesaw anything within 10' of the line.
("Heck Bob, better make it twenty feet, we don't wanna have to come back.")
HACK, HACK, CHOP, CUT, make a big mess, drive away.

Yeah Ekka, your photo illustrates some fairly good ROW pruning.
 
Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

Apologies to any line clearance guys out there, I'm just jaded from a few bad experiences. I'm sure if you're lurking here you're probably a forward thinking professional.
 
Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

It llks like the best-worst conclusion that can be expected.

The rules for commercial arbo work can't all be applied to utility arbo work.
What would you suggest as a better solution?
 
Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

Well the fact that there all different hieghts kinda rules out Topping and I can see they "dropped" back to a limb (doesn't look like the 1/3 rule though). I don't think you can drop crotch a conifer very well when you remove the only leader. have to agree with the rest - worst / best seems to fit. Remove replant would be smarter (won't Happen /forum/images/graemlins/crazy.gif).

Hey you getting hammered with that cylone down there? /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

I too think that as far as where to cut they did good.

Guy, could you explain further that ANSI rule? Isn't drop crotching reduction anyway or does that rule say something else.

I wonder what the trees will do ... I do have some pics of what some have already done but I didn't want to let the cat out of the bag yet.

Raven, I can take some pics of what another ROW mob did around the corner ... pretty ugly, but the species was different offering no 1/3 rule.
 
Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

It's 2000 kilometers (or miles?) north of him.
 
Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

Seen worse around here, At least that guy tries. Its one of my grips about the local asplundh guys, they suck ounce and awhile you find that one of them were really trying to do the right thing for the tree.
I can see the interview are you scared of heights? No
Are you scared of electricity? No
Your hired!
 
Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

Eric yes drop-crotching is reduction. Weird story there--I talked to 95 arborists at an isa regional meeting and one raised her hand and asked what drop-crotching was. I said sorry I didn't mean to use jargon, but...how many here know what drop-crotching is? Less than 10% raised their hands. Sheeshiss mageeshiss, get out in the field people willya?

Not sure what else you're after--I'll just mail you a copy of the BMP's I guess.
 
Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

“So, do you think it's drop crotched or topped?”

I’m not sure either term is completely apt in this situation. But I’d think drop crotched would be a better term than topped, simply because in my opinion the arborist did what was best for both the trees and the power lines.

“These are slash pines, Pinus elliottii, what will happen say 2 years down the track, 5 years, 10 years, etc?”

Now with the leaders gone, the branches left will assume apical control and reaction (compression) wood on the underside of the branches will bend the branches up, while at the same time the trunk will develop compression wood on the leaning side to offset the imbalance as much as it can.

Many Christmas tree farmers will leave a whorl or two on harvested tree stumps, and the strongest branch will usually bend up to form a new tree faster than a seedling will (but less straight and symmetrical). This happens, instead of new shoots developing to take control, because most conifers don’t have latent buds, or very few of them.
 
Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

Chucky

Thanks and TD same. I'll age with pics of these doing their thing. I've not really seen this before at that height on a species like that.

Here's a pic of what happened to some of them.
 

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Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

Yeah they'll die when they lose too much food. That's why I see excessive raising as part of the same evil as excessive reduction.
 
Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

yeah . . . what you expect when you remove 50% or more of the money making end. Now do you think they learned anything? will the same foreman come back? was the foreman/whoever limited so he couldn't remove the trees originaly? did a nearby homeowner get involved?

I remember alot of city street work where the homeowners would come out and ream you a new one even though you were goi'n by the book. You were the city /forum/images/graemlins/furious3.gif leave them trees alone.
 
Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

IMO the trees were techinacly drop crotched. With being in the industry I know how these things go. And some have already come to conclusions about this with out hearing any of the information from either the homeowner or the trimmer / contractor. The trimming did take too much out of the tree to sustain healthy growth and aside from that the tree dignaty is gone. I would have suggested to the customer for removal of this non benifical tree and replaced with a more asteticly pleasing species that would not interfere with the electric lines. (Something dwarf and ornamental or a berry producer for wildlife to benifit from)
Sometimes the customer will not even listen to any of that and insist that the topping be done.
 
Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

So whats this in the pic?

(not intentionally hijacking the tread, made this some weeks ago and had(have) no time or like to find the right tread)

TOPPED or DROP CROTCHED?
 

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Re: Topped or drop Crotched? And what\'s the future

In my humble opinion that is a top job!! No laterals left to feed the existing branches. Here is a question I would like to raise. We have probably all seen trees that have been reduced correctly i.e. proper laterals, not too large a cut and so on... , only to have the tree trimmer go and cut the laterals in half yet. I assume that it is done to give the tree a better overall shape but does'nt it defeat the purpose of leaving a lateral????
 
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